Saturday, December 22, 2012

Ojiya

In my kitchen I usually have two dishes, prepared and ready: brown rice and miso soup. I know what you are thinking: that's all that macrobiotics talks about, but you will see from my archived recipes an astonishing array of dishes. Just last week I taught a cooking class and my client was astonished that in 4 dishes we used 10 different vegetables. So why Ojiya? Because it is dark and cold in the morning and because I am just a wee bit tired of oats ( but that will change). Ojiya lifts my spirits and nourishes me on a very deep level. If you read my blog this month: http://absolutelymacro.blogspot.com/ you will see that this inward cycle is important to our well being for the year.

Bring the water and the kanten to a low boil. Simmer on a low flame for 5 minutes. Add the green tea and the brown rice syrup. Mix gently and cool in a shallow dish. Cool on the counter and then place in refrigerator until firm.

Mix the melon balls with a pinch of sea salt and the mint. Let sit for 15 minutes. Mix in the kanten cubes.

Bring apple juice, amazake rice syrup, pinch sea salt and 2 T. agar flakes up to a gentle boil on low flame. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring every once in a while. In a small bowl mix kuzu with the lemon juice until dissolved. Add kuzu mixture to the liquid in the pot and stir while the mixture thickens. Add vanilla and stir. Cool before refrigerating Pour into dessert bowls. Let set. Garnish with fresh berries, lemon slices or toasted almonds or walnuts.

Chop equal amounts of burdock, carrot and lotus root (if using). Saute burdock for about 3 minutes in sesame oil. Add a pinch of sea salt. Layer the lotus root and carrot on top of the burdock. Cover with water, bring to a boil, lower the flame, cover and simmer for up to 40 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft. Add a little water, if needed. Add finely chopped onion and cabbage or squash and cook for another 20 minutes. Mix the miso’s 50-50 and dilute with some broth. Simmer for another 5 minutes

Wash millet and dry roast in a pan over low heat till it smells nutty. Add millet and vegetables to water with a pinch of salt, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add more salt to taste.

CarrotDaikonBean SproutsCooked Udon NoodlesGrated GingerFresh tofu cut in trianglesDashi:4 cups water1 piece of kombua couple of dried shitake, soaked a bitbontio flakes, optionalSauce:Shoyugrated ginger1) Make the dashi by combining ingredients, except the bonito. Bring to a boil, add the bonito (if using) turn down and simmer a few minutes. Strain out the bonito. Remove kombu and use in another dish like beans. Remove shitake and slice. Place with vegetables on the platter (see above)2) Mix the sauce ingredients3) Put the ceramic nabe pot on the gas burner. Add a cup or so of the dashi. Place the thinly sliced vegetables, bean sprouts, tofu in sections around the pot. Add cooked noodles to the top. Cover the nabe pot and bring to a boil. Be careful or the broth will boil out. The meal is ready when you steam coming out of the nabe top hole. Be sure to use a pot holder when opening the pot.To serve: Place a bit of the sauce in the bottom of a bowl. Add a bit of broth to mix. Using your chopsticks remove the veggies and noodles and ladle on some broth.Yum, a 1 pot meal in a bowl!

Place the kombu and water in the bottom of a pan. The water should be very shallow and just cover the bottom of the pan. Layer the vegetables or place them around the pot. Add a pinch of sea salt. Cover the pan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Lower the flame to simmer and cook for 20 minutes. If the water evaporates, add a little more just to cover the bottom of the pan. Add a few drops of shoyu and gently shake the vegetables. Re-cover and cook for another 5 minutes.

Soak posole overnight in water to cover. Soak the sundried tomatoes in warm water and save the liquid. Chop the onion and saute in the olive oil. Add the chili powder and continue to saute until the onions are translucent. Cut the seitan into bite sized pieces. Cut the green chili into strips. Add the green chili, sundried tomatoes and the soaking water, the drained posole and the seitan. Cover with vegetable broth by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil, covered, turn heat down and simmer for 2 hours, adding vegetable broth as needed.

Pressure cook the chestnuts with the soaking water and a pinch of sea salt for 30 minutes. Place the chestnuts and the remaining water in the bottom of a pot and layer in the cabbage and then the grated green apple. Simmer until almost tender about 10-15 minutes. Puree the miso with some broth and add gently to the cabbage. Simmer another 3 minutes and serve with the lemon slices.

Preheat oven to 425. Line a roasting pan with parchment paper. Toss the squash and sweet potato with a bit of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Roast the veggies uncovered for 40 minutes.

In a large pot saute the onion in olive oil, adding a bit of sea salt as the onion breaks down, until transparent. Transfer the roasted veggies to the pot and add water to no more than 1 inch above the veggies. Add a pinch of sea salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for about 20 minutes until the flavors have blended.

Remove the pot from the heat and with an immersion blender blend the soup. I like mine with some small chunks.

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the garlic. Sauté for 1 minute and add the onions and sauté until translucent. Add a bit of water and the leek and continue to sauté for 2 minutes. Add the cabbage, carrot and a pinch of sea salt and sauté briefly. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Gently stir in the seitan, cover and cook another couple of minutes. You may add bit of water if the pan is too dry. Combine the miso with mirin or sake and mix in to the vegetables . Add 1 T water if the pan is too dry.

2 cloves garlicsweet white onion (if you can find a vidalia all the better)red pepper flakes

Wash the greens thoroughly and cut in 2 inch pieces, separating the stems from the leafy part. Chop the onion. Sliver the garlic.Add some olive oil to a pre heated cast iron skillet. Saute the garlic briefly, add the onion and continue to saute till the onion browns a bit. Add the rabe stems and saute for a few minutes until they start to turn bright green. Then add the rabe leaves and saute for another couple of minutes. Dash with some red pepper flakes and serve immediately!

Cook the noodles according to the package directions and drain in cool water. Puree the peanut butter, vinegar, sweetner, ginger, soy sauce, garlic, lime juice, lime zest and 1/2 of the cilantro. Blend until smooth and you may add a bit of water to make it more saucy. Toss the noodles with the peanut sauce and toss again with the carrot and cucumber. Add the peanuts to the top.

Place the soaked barley and the soaking water with the carrots and the onion in a pressure cooker. Add water to 2 inches over the grains and vegetables. Add a pinch of sea salt. Cover, bring to pressure on a medium high flame. When you are at pressure start timing for 40 minutes. Place a flame tamer under the pressure cooker and bring down the heat, but still maintain your pressure. I can get it down to low in my kitchen.

When the soup is cooked and the pressure is down, remove a bit of broth and mix with the miso. Return the miso mixture to the pot and simmer another 5 minutes.

Kabocha squash, very thinly slicedBroccoli, cut in spearsTofu, can used preseasoned variety, cut in trianglesPlace the veggies and tofu in sections in a skillet. Add water to half way up the ingredients (do not cover). Cover and place on medium high heat for 5 minutes. Add shoyu, cover, and cook for 3 minutes more until the vegetables are tender and very colorful.Great with brown rice.You can use any variety of vegetables as long as you slice thinly.

shoyumirin3-4 large portabellas2 leaves of kale or other green, coarsely chopped

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Toast barley until lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Place the barley in a pot with the corn and water. Cover and bring to a boil. Add shoyu, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until the liquid has been absorbed, about 35 minutes. While the barley cooks, heat a small amount of oil and sauté the onions until limp. Add the sliced portabellas and shoyu and miring and sauté until the mushrooms are limp. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the mushrooms release their juices. Sauté the kale or other greens till cooked. Add the mushrooms to the barley along with the lemon and scallions.

* whole grain brown hato mugi is available from the Natural Import Company

In a large skillet pan fry the tempeh slices in sesame oil (just enough to coat the bottom of the pan). Pan fry until browned. Combine the water, ginger juice and shoyu and pour over tempeh in the skillet. Bring to a low boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Uncover and reduce the liquid until much of the liquid has boiled down. Remove tempeh and stir the syrup, vinegar and mustard in to the liquid. Add the tempeh back to the pot and heat together for a few minutes.

Sauté the celery and carrots until wilting. In a saucepan combine dashi, ginger (squeeze the grated ginger with your hand to extract the juice) and shoyu. Bring to a boil, stir in dissolved kuzu, sautéed vegetables and tofu. Heat until almost boiling. Sauté the celery and carrots until wilting. In a saucepan combine dashi, ginger (squeeze the grated ginger with your hand to extract the juice) and shoyu. Bring to a boil, stir in dissolved kuzu, sautéed vegetables and tofu. Heat until almost boiling.

Heat the oil over medium high heat and saute the onion till translucent. Add the jalapeno, garlic, ginger, cumin, garam masala and turmeric and a pinch of sea salt. Saute for another couple of minutes and add the carrots, tomatoes and enough water to simmer a bit, about 7 minutes with the lid on. Start with 1/2 c water and if it gets too dry add more, 1/4 c of water at a time. The idea is to keep the dish moist but not turn it into a stew. Add the cauliflower, a bit more water if needed, cover again and simmer 20 more minutes until all the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and a few cracks of fresh pepper.

Bring water to a boil with carrots and cook, uncovered, 8 minutes. Reserve the liquid and add carrots to a food processor along with tahini, ume, oil and shoyu. Blend until smooth and then add cooking liquid a little at a time until the dressing is the consistency for pouring. Cool Makes 2 cups.

Heat pot and add oil to lightly coat bottom. Add onions, a few pinches sea salt and sauté until onions begin to glisten. Add carrots. Saute. Add squash pieces on top then layer on top cooked chickpeas. Add enough water (or stock from cooking chickpeas) to just cover squash (not covering chickpeas). Cover and bring to a boil. Cook about 20 minutes until squash tender. Season with a little shoyu and cook for a few more minutes. Add frozen peas and squeeze in ginger juice. Cook for a few more minutes then serve.

curry powder (very optional)sea saltlentil sproutswaterHeat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. If using curry powder add now to make a sort of roux. Add the onions and saute until soft, adding a bit of sea salt once the onions soften a bit. Stir in about 1/2 cup of lentil sprouts and saute for another minute. Add water, but do not cover the sprouts. Another dash of sea salt and then cover the pan. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.

* Dice portabellas are nice too. Add right after the onions and s saute a bit longer.

Slice the shitake and saute in a bit of sesame oil with the ginger and garlic for a couple of minutes.

Slice the bok choy in half and lay on the shitake mixture. Add about a tablespoon of water, cover, and simmer on medium low heat for about 3-4 minutes. In the meantime, dissolve the kuzu in 1/4 cup water and swirl in to the bok choy when cooked.

Eating enough vegetables, especially greens, is not a problem when you are following macrobiotic suggestions. But sometimes, you just want to add an occasional oomph to blanched, steamed or pressed vegetables.

Place the kombu in a pot. Cut the squash into 2 inch chunks and place into the pot. Add adzuki beans on top of the squash. Cover with water and bring to a boil, covered. Lower the heat to simmer and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the dish is creamy. If needed, add more water a little at a time. Add a few drops of shoyu or some salt and simmer another 10 - 15 minutes.

Note: When squash is out-of-season, use carrot, parsnip and/or onions.

In a deep skillet, add the stock and the water. Core and cut the tomatoes, finely sliver the garlic and add to the liquid in the skillet with a few pinches of sea salt. Cover the skillet, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the fish and spoon a bit of juice over it. Cover and cook on medium heat (about 10 minutes for a thick slice (2 inches) or 6 minutes for a thinner slice).

When cooked thru (it will flake with a fork) place on a plate and spoon the delicious braising juice over the fish.